JEFF Kennett still =
doesn't=20
understand. When you're elected to public office and you work with =
public=20
money, your working life is no longer private. Your private life =
is no=20
business of the public - unless your private life benefits in some =
improper way from your public life. It's simple really - if you =
bring your=20
public life into your private life, then the public gaze has a =
right to=20
follow. Your public work, however, must remain forever public.

The rottenness at the moral core of the Kennett era has been =
the loss=20
of respect for the meaning of ``the public'' in every sense that =
we use=20
the concept in civic life. Things that are publicly owned have =
been=20
redefined as inferior in quality, service and prestige. And =
processes that=20
are publicly accountable are also by definition regarded as =
inefficient,=20
wasteful and old-fashioned.

Everything ``public'' is deemed second-rate. Can we thank our =
divisive=20
private school sector for training an elite that has such innate =
contempt=20
for the public and the democratic?

The ``public'' has been ``talked down'' so effectively that =
we've lost=20
sight of its true meaning in our lives. We, ``the public'', and =
our=20
elected representatives, ``the government'', do not have to crawl =
to the=20
private sector begging for consideration as a client. It is, in =
fact, the=20
other way around.

Businesses that secure government contracts are very fortunate. =
Government business is very good for private business and =
successful=20
tenders are privileged to be chosen.

Governments are desirable business partners. They pay their =
bills, they=20
have vast infrastructure resources, they have (or used to have)=20
intellectual capital in their employees, they have superb =
contacts, they=20
can smooth the way through other parts of the administration. =
Governments=20
also used to have moral prestige, because they were the elected =
executive=20
of the people, the community, the public.

That means that to do business with government should be a =
privilege.=20
And since the government is the representative of the public, and =
the=20
money it spends is their money, the people are part of the =
business=20
contract. Therefore, for the privilege of doing business with the =
public's=20
money, the government and its private business partners must =
relinquish=20
commercial confidentiality.

Business people who are proud of their ``realism'' may scoff at =
this=20
concept, but they should think again. Governments are not like =
private=20
business partners; they are entirely different moral entities. The =
individuals who are elected to office, contrary to appearances, do =
not own=20
the government. They can lose office if they offend the =
electorate. Their=20
stability as business partners depends on the quality of their =
performance=20
and on the community's continuing trust. If that trust is =
undermined, the=20
government will lose its mandate.

The electorate finds it very difficult to trust actions that =
are hidden=20
from its scrutiny. Private businesses that take on public =
contracts have,=20
by definition, relinquished part of their privacy. And if a =
particular=20
business doesn't like that, then there are plenty of other fish in =
the sea=20
with which the government can do business.

Take it or leave it, public business must remain public.

In seven years the Kennett Government has stripped Victoria of =
its=20
public assets and sold them - in a number of cases for a song - =
and claims=20
that we have never been stronger.

Think of Victoria as a family farm, where drought and imprudent =
borrowing at the urging of reckless bankers had resulted in high =
debts. No=20
matter that they had been as high before and Victoria had traded =
out of=20
trouble. No, this time, we were told, it was different. Victoria =
was a=20
rust-bucket and the only way out was to sell assets and reduce the =
debt=20
burden.

And so foreign buyers bought the best paddocks and the farm =
machinery,=20
promising to lease them back to the farmers so they could continue =
farming. Except that the family found it couldn't make ends meet, =
the=20
profits were going elsewhere and the machinery was getting old.

``Diversify,'' they were told. ``Make the most of your =
remaining=20
assets.'' While the bank wouldn't lend to develop a farm the =
family no=20
longer actually owned, it was eager to finance the renovation of =
the=20
family farmhouse in heritage colors and reproduction Victoriana.

``Heritage Country bed-and-breakfasts'', except that there was =
too much=20
competition and it meant working 14 hours a day, waiting on =
unpleasant=20
people coming up for a naughty weekend. Tariffs were reduced, =
breakfasts=20
became self-serve and poker machines have been installed on the =
return=20
veranda.

The farm, Mr Kennett, was not yours to sell, it was ours and =
was meant=20
to be there for our children and grandchildren.

And you shut us out of the sales meeting.=20

Dr Janet McCalman teaches history at Melbourne University's =
Centre=20
for the Study of Health and Society. E-mail:=20
opinion@theage.fairfax.com.au